A compliant pin fin heat sink includes a flexible base plate having a thickness of from about 0.2 mm to about 0.5 mm. A plurality of pins extends from the flexible base plate and is formed integral with the flexible base plate by forging. A flexible top plate is connected to and spaced from the flexible base plate. The plurality of pins is disposed between the flexible base plate and the flexible top plate.

A plate fin heat exchanger is configured to receive hot flow from a hot source and cool flow from a cool source. The plate fin heat exchanger includes a plurality of plates arranged in parallel to define a plurality of flow passages there between, and a set of closure bars arranged at a first side of the plurality of plates to seal a first set of the flow passages against ingress of the hot flow, thereby directing the hot flow into a second set of the flow passages. Each respective closure bar includes an inner core formed of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion and an outer cladding arranged about the inner core, the outer cladding formed of a second material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion. The first coefficient of thermal expansion is less than the second coefficient of thermal expansion.

A receiver includes a large diameter main body portion, and an intermediate member side small diameter portion. A wall thickness of the intermediate member side small diameter portion is smaller than a wall thickness of the main body portion. As a result, heat capacity of the intermediate member side small diameter portion is reduced. As a result, it is possible to complete brazing between the intermediate member side small diameter portion and the intermediate member, at the same time as brazing among tanks, tubes, and fins. A desiccant enclosed in a flexible bag can be taken in and out through the intermediate member side small diameter portion.

Heat pipes and methods of forming heat pipes, such as for use in nuclear reactor systems, are described herein. A representative method of forming a heat pipe includes forming a first wicking structure from a first material and forming a second wicking structure on the first wicking structure. Forming the second wicking structure can include mixing a second material and a third material, and heating the mixture of the second material and the third material to a temperature (a) less than a melting temperature of the second material and (b) greater than a melting temperature of the third material to melt the third material. The method can further include cooling the mixture of the second material and the third material to below the melting temperature of the third material such that the third material solidifies to bond together a plurality of particles of the second material into a porous structure.

Heat pipes and methods of forming heat pipes, such as for use in nuclear reactor systems, are described herein. A representative method of forming a heat pipe includes forming a first wicking structure from a first material and forming a second wicking structure on the first wicking structure. Forming the second wicking structure can include mixing a second material and a third material, and heating the mixture of the second material and the third material to a temperature (a) less than a melting temperature of the second material and (b) greater than a melting temperature of the third material to melt the third material. The method can further include cooling the mixture of the second material and the third material to below the melting temperature of the third material such that the third material solidifies to bond together a plurality of particles of the second material into a porous structure.

A process for the removal of nitrous oxide from a gas stream having a contaminating concentration of nitrous oxide to provide a gas stream with a significantly reduced concentration of nitrous oxide is described. The process includes the use of a process system having multiple N.sub.2O decomposition reactors each of which contain a nitrous oxide decomposition catalyst and heat transfer units each of which contain a heat sink media that are operatively connected in a particular order and arrangement for use in the process. The gas stream is passed to the process system that is operated for a period of time in a specific operating mode followed by the stopping of such operation and reversal of the process flow. These steps may be repeatedly taken in order to provide for an enhanced energy recovery efficiency for a given nitrous oxide destruction removal efficiency.

A clad material for a cooler is provided by executing production of a tensile strain of 3 to 10% or rolling at a finish rolling ratio of 10 to 25%, and optionally performing a heat treatment for 1 to 8 hours at a temperature within a range from 150 to 400° C., on a clad raw material having a three layer structure of a core material, a first brazing filler metal layer that covers one side (the surface on the side of a cooling water passage) of this core material, and a second brazing filler metal layer that covers the other side (the surface on the opposite side from the cooling water passage). Specific ranges are prescribed for certain properties before and after brazing.

Multilayered brazing sheet material including an aluminium core alloy layer having a first brazing clad layer material on one face of the core layer and a second brazing clad layer material on the other face of the core material, and an inter-layer between the core layer and the first brazing clad layer material, wherein the core layer is 3xxx-series aluminium alloy having, in wt. %, up to 0.4% Si, up to 0.5% Fe, 0.4% to 0.75% Cu, 0.6% to 1.1% Mn, up to 0.04% Mg, up to 0.2% Cr, up to 0.25% Zr, up to 0.2% Ti, up to 0.15% Zn, balance aluminium and impurities, wherein the first brazing layer and the second brazing layer are 4xxx-series aluminium alloy having 7% to 14% Si and up to 2% Mg, balance aluminium and impurities, and wherein the inter-layer is aluminium alloy of the 1xxx-series alloys.

A polymer tube dry cooling tower designed to operate with internal fluid at or near atmospheric pressure.

A heat exchanger is provided. The heat exchanger (40) provides a first plurality of tubes (50) and a second plurality of flow passages (52) which furcate near one of the first (42) and second (44) manifolds into two or more furcated flow passages and subsequently converge to exit the heat exchanger. The plurality of furcated flow passages are intertwined, reducing the distance between flow passages (50,52) containing each fluid therebetween to improve thermal transfer. Further, the furcations create changes of direction of the fluid to re-establish new thermal boundary layers within the flow passages to further reduce resistance to thermal transfer.